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Working with Delegate Harry Purkey (R-82), I co-patroned House Bill 512 which would temporarily reclassify new investments in machinery and tools as intangible personal property, effectively waiving the punitive Machine and Tools tax rates during its first three years of service. Like HB 10, it would not reduce any current funding to localities. Having personal and direct experience with corporate executives reviewing payback analysis on investments, I know that such a move would help to make this ROI analysis more favorable and could have a profound effect on bringing these investments to Virginia, along with jobs and other ancillary benefits. You can expect to see this legislation revisited in the future. In the meantime, there is a similar initiative with a different approach coming over from the Senate. I will evaluate its text and determine my support of it soon.

On February 12, I rose and spoke on the floor against House Bill 1063, which would allow school boards to set the calendar for public schools and allow school to begin before Labor Day. I believe that this legislation, if it passes, will ultimately hurt our tourism industry and hamper the state’s ability to generate revenue, the very same revenue that we use to fund and support our public school systems.

In my first session I was proud to be a co-founding member of the business development caucus, which was founded with the goal of creating a better environment to do business and create jobs in Virginia. Please feel free to view the video of the first press conference here. I hope that this caucus can present bi-partisan, commonsense solutions to help achieve the goal of economic growth that we can all agree on.

On May 11, 2012, I was honored to address the graduates of the Class of 2012 at my alma mater, New River Community College. My commencement speech can be viewed here.